Furnished Quarters: A Responsible and Sustainable Company

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There’s so much to consider when looking at short-term rentals. Location, size, amenities, and more all play a part in how comfortable your stay will be. But how sustainable and environmentally conscious is the company? That can be harder to gauge.

Learn about the steps Furnished Quarters has taken to become a conscientious and eco-friendly company in a world where so few companies do.

Internal Business Practices

Five categories describe the choices we’ve made to ensure our business model is environmentally friendly.

1. Gifts

We believe in providing our clients, partners, tradeshow attendees, and more with useful and sustainably sourced gifts they can feel good about – prioritizing bamboo, cork, organic silk organza, and reclaimed materials. Recently, we have gifted:

• Cell Phone stands
• Pen holders
• Cutlery
• Bento Boxes
• Picture frames
• Laptop Travel Cases
• Reusable Lunch Totes
• Toiletry Bags
• Reusable Shopping Bags

2. Energy Efficiency

Furnished Quarters always strives to partner with LEED-certified buildings when looking for new locations. Green energy is crucial in the fight to become environmentally responsible, and now, over 45% of our buildings across the country are led by green energy initiatives.

3. Digital Uses

As part of our Paperless Project, we have transitioned to sending all lease agreements and other business documents through DocuSign to keep all paperwork digital, further supporting forestry conservation efforts. We are also actively replacing physical items in our apartments with digital versions whenever possible. These initiatives have resulted in over 21,168 pounds of wood saved and eliminated the need to send over 7,000 paper envelopes.

4. Waste Management

The past few years we have also been dedicated to optimizing our waste management by embracing our corporate social responsibility and taking proactive measures for waste reduction. These measures include replacing most plastic made items in the apartments with reusable bamboo materials and establishing a recycling program for all computers and electronics. These recent measures resulted in: 

• 49,687 lbs of carbon emissions reduced
• 62,330 gal of water conserved
• 3,439 lbs of total waste eliminated

5. Donations

Furnished Quarters participates in the One Tree Planted program. We donate money to plant one tree for every company employee each year.

We also we donate lightly used furniture to local charities and donation centers when pieces are no longer needed in the apartments. This saves countless pounds of waste from the landfill and helps dozens of families in need who are the recipients of high-quality furniture pieces.

6. Company Policies

We implemented a Sustainable Procurement policy to ensure all business partners (including suppliers and vendors) have a similar commitment and respect for social responsibility. This policy ensures:

• All partners comply with all applicable environmental laws and regulations
• Mindfully address energy and emissions usage
• Reduce waste wherever possible

Guest Experience

Responsible business practices set up any company for success, but the guest experience is also paramount. While our guests are always the number one priority, our team still goes the extra mile to ensure the sustainability of our apartments and services. We do this through:

• Using responsibly sourced materials in our apartments such as bamboo cutting boards and key tags.
• Replacing physical items with digital whenever possible
• Ensuring guests arrive at a stocked apartment without using plastic bottles through our Boxed Water partnership.
• Ensuring all our facilities give guests access to responsible waste management and recycling services including pet waste stations.
• Equipping every guest with a Greener Guest Guide to offer helpful recommendations and ideas on how each guest can be energy efficient and environmentally conscious during their stay.
• Installing appliances with energy-saving capabilities for guest use and replacing older appliances with EnergyStar models.
• Using LED lightbulbs in every room.
• Providing all guests with a reusable, sustainably sourced cotton tote.
• Partnering with L’Occitane to provide each apartment with a body care collection featuring eco-friendly products that are 100% organic in a reusable bag made of sustainably sourced materials.

EcoVadis Awards

Our commitment to sustainable business practices and guest experiences has earned us the EcoVadis Bronze Sustainability Rating. EcoVadis is a globally recognized provider of business sustainability equations and ratings. EcoVadis awards companies after providing them with a scorecard that includes key categories such as environment, labor, human rights, ethos, and sustainable procurement.

This award directly reflects our company values and dedication to integrating environmentally conscious practices within all levels of the company. By applying green and sustainable initiatives and receiving this Bronze rating, Furnished Quarters has positioned itself within the top 20% of all EcoVadis assessed companies worldwide.

Furnished Quarters: Moving Forward to Better the World

We are dedicated to acting as a responsible company that values the environment and sustainable practices. As our CEO and co-founder Steve Brown said,

“We want all guests and partners to know that ‘stay different’ means that they can also ‘stay sustainable and responsible’ when choosing Furnished Quarters. We will continue to look for even more opportunities to improve our environmental impact and carbon footprint while looking forward to a bright future ahead.”

The next time you need a short-term apartment, choose a company that prioritizes sustainability and its positive effect on the environment. Choose Furnished Quarters and truly “stay different.”